Apex
by stikjok
Summary: Fan sequel to "Exo". Please review and suggest! I'm working a lot of overtime, so chapters may be slow coming.
1. Chapter 1

Cent: _Dress up_

It had been a busy week, and it wasn't slowing down yet.

This morning I had transfered three boxes of cargo and four people from the Johnson Space center to the ISS Leonardo module and returned Misha, Kate, Oleg and Commander Elliot to Earth per the new Apex Orbital contract. I must have been a sight, in jeans and sandals and my Stanford sweatshirt... not exactly NASA issue. They each had been jumped directly to a waiting gurney and whisked away to Medical to begin the long convalescence needed post mission. Nasa officials had arranged for me to duck out of sight before the newsies could include me with my new friends from the ISS.

On my monster of a list was acquiring a jump site for Star City, the Roscosmos training center, also the location for cosmonaut post mission recovery. There was no reason for our Russian friends to not go directly home.

I couldn't see Joe until the weekend, but I sent him a shmaltzy email from our com station at Kristen. I then donned the mask and prebreather rig for the orbital job later that morning, including the new wireless mike bluetoothed to the speaker on my belt. It gave my voice an echoey quality that I didn't like, but at least I didn't have to either scream to be heard, or hold my breath, raise the mask and purge after I said something. I looked through the (almost) daily list of offers that came through the website; mostly appearances at this party or those awards, occasionally something interesting like a TED talk or an interview by someone I really respected. I turned them all down, though. Not only was Dad paranoid about being somewhere planned in advance, I was just as leary, having escaped from the no-shit dungeon of a mad billionaire entirely too soon ago.

Tara was doing a fair job of keeping up with the mailed crap that came in, but she, like all of my besties, was still in school and needed time on her own to get through it. Apex needed to put out a 'Now Hiring' sign and darned quickly.

Grandmother was at the other com station conferring with her producer. She liked to keep 'My World', her TV show, as closely under her control as her contract would let her. "It needs to have a flavor that tastes good to me, or what's the point?" she'd said. The medical aides had received training from the network as video and sound techs, or just enough to operate the equipment used for her show. They were receiving an additional stipend from the producers of the show for their work.

I stayed out of their way. Mom was on duty as the station Jumper, and I went up towards the light to talk to her about continuing to be my backup for future planned missions. We were having problems making our minds up about the future of the company now that our cover was blown and the world knew that jumpers were popping around the planet… and into orbit around it.

"I want to restart our NGO work." She said. "Now that we don't have to hide how we get food and supplies into hard areas, we can work with other groups so they can distribute what we bring in. We've had offers to partner up with the International Rescue Committee and Care International. It's something that your Dad and I can do that will have a high impact per time spent, and Cent, it's really the thing that I started and love the most. However, your Dad and I agree that we should completely back your contracted work." She gave me a gimlet eye and added, "Don't take that as carte blanche to load us up. We all have lives."

"Speaking of lives," I said, "Could you ask Dad and Wanda to start looking for a business manager? I don't want to be the decider on how much to pay people and be responsible for all the corporate B.S. We're a company, we need a CEO."

She looked startled. "I thought you liked being in charge!"

"I like _doing_ stuff. I don't want to make sure stuff gets done. I want us to decide where we're going; I just want someone else to dot the eyes and cross the tees."

Mom looked thoughtful and said, "I'll mention it to them. It will take some time to find the right person, I think."

I looked at my watch and said, "Gotta go. Cory's waiting on me." Mom waved, and I jumped to the new Matoska company offices. Cory met me at his office, and I thanked him for filling in for Dad as safety and Capcom.

"It's no problem, and to tell the truth, I kind of miss it." He said. "I like that now that everything is out in the open about your operations, I can do everything from this office. Um, why can't your Dad do this again?"

"He's meeting with realtors. We need groundside offices too, not just our warehouse. I'll be right back."

I jumped in my suit and gear and supplies, stacking them on the floor or along his couch as needed. Cory and I ran through the checklist. It was kind of nostalgic with him; Cory had been my first enabler and partner in my orbital ambitions. As we worked, he complained about the skyrocketing price of the EAP fibers that he needed for the suits. "There's only two companies manufacturing the ionic types with ECP cores, and those investors that I turned away got together and bought one of them. I'm talking to a company that makes much smaller ones destined for medical actuators trying to get them to ramp up the size I need… but it's an almost entirely different manufacturing technology. I have lawyers working on it." He showed me his crossed fingers.

Today's mission was our first real contracted retrieval; a six year old satellite used to analyze micrometeors in orbit for potential biologic matter. There were instruments aboard to detect such, but since I could get the package down, the University of Maryland had contracted Apex to deliver OEL#1 to the Johnson space center.

Corey gave me the thumbs up when we finished the checklist and I jumped through my adaptation sites to my standard orbit, like always. I hit the redial button on our Iridium phone and called him, for once.

"Spacegirl calling Capcom, I'm in standard orbit, how do you read?"

"Capcom here. You sound great. Ready for the target location?"

I said I was and he gave me the specs I needed and the ten second countdown. Suddenly I was in the earth's shadow above Jacarta, looking at the nightime world, highlighted by cities and roads and all the occupied areas. I disconnected from my leg our latest acquisition, an adapted Lowrance Marine radar in a mostly transparent pressured housing. The company had steadfastly refused to give it up for an endorsement, so the bloody thing had cost over 20,000 dollars and was the size of a breadbasket, with and aluminum radome on one end and a screen on the other

It did, however, work, up to 36 miles. I scanned around while waiting for Corys' callback and found the satellite behind me in a higher, slower orbit. I slewed around and jumped nine kilometers, zeroing in. Cory called me and I asked, "Has the client verified vacuum at the target?"

"Not yet. I just got them on the line." He paused. "Okay, Maryland, you're here with Spacegirl."

I said, "Doctor Nichaelson? Spacegirl here. Do you read me?"

A gruff, elderly voice said, "Yes, I'm here at the Space center. Do you have our bird?"

"Not yet. I'm closing in on it, though. Could you verify the chamber condition?"

"Yes, it's sterilized and in vacuum. Awaiting your delivery, young lady."

"Stand by." I could see it now, a dark, irregular cylinder half again my height. It had a mottled appearance rather than the standard dark metal, and I killed my closing velocity to stationkeeping three meters from the thing. I carefully noted our exact heading and moved to the same distance forward of its' path. I then twinned to the target location inside the large vacuum chamber at the Johnson facility face up to the ceiling, adjusting to 1.5 meters above the landing pads. I let the bird approach me slowly, and when I touched it, it disappeared.

I spun the target twin around and looked at the floor. The satellite was resting on a pad a yard high covered with a sterile tarp with the UMD logo in the center. I had missed that center by maybe… three inches. I never thought I would have a reason to be grateful to Hyacinth Pope, but this method of transport did cut down on the possibility of something heavy falling over onto me. I stopped twinning, hung in space and said into the mike, "Please verify successful delivery."

The voice was not so gruff now. "Yes, we have it. It's still transmitting, we're going through shutdown procedures now. Thank you, Spacegirl. Anytime you're in Maryland, please stop by. We'd love to thank you in person."

"Apex thanks you for your business, sir. Have a nice day!" I clicked off and had Cory call Tech Sergeant Mertens, our U.S. Space Command liaison and report retrieval of the UMD bird. She paused after taking down the info and said, "General Stirling would like a word, if you've a moment." I said I did, and hung there in the beautiful darkness until the General said, "Cent? Are you there?"

"Yes, General." I replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, my bosses thought it might be a bright idea to let you know, in conjunction with Apex Orbitals' remediation policy, what space debris is considered most dangerous to the orbital environment, either due to close calls or potential breakup. They've had my command list the top 30 targets that they would like you to prioritize. They know your weight limitations, and are willing to pay for tethers for you to attach to the larger problem children."

I frowned. "Do I have Space Commands' guarantee that all these birds are dead? I don't want the Chinese to scream at me for deorbiting one of their spy sats."

"The bird owners or past owners have been appended to the list, and it's been sent to the info  address for your approval or action. My staff agrees that if you're going to be clearing out our space, it's best to have you rank your targets by problems they cause. This is a request, of course, Cent. But it's practically your front yard, so…"

I laughed. "So, best to keep the trash out of it. I understand. We'll take your list under advisement, General. Cent out."

I had one more appearance to make this day, so I jumped back to Corey's' office and went through the doff checklist with him quickly. I left the equipment with him until he could check it over and took a long shower at the warehouse. I jumped from there to the cliff house and finished drying off, then getting dressed in, what was for me, business casual. I applied makeup carefully and stood up straight in front of the mirror, trying to look as adult and take charge as I could.

I then jumped to the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. I exited the women's bathroom at 2pm and walked calmly the forty feet into conference room A. Where NASA was fighting problems that I had caused.

I didn't cause any stir as I entered; people tend to see what they are used to seeing. I was here without any patches or Nomex coveralls, no fishbowl helmet on my head, but with heels and a skirt. For me, it was practically a ghillie suit. The cameras, both video and still, remained trained on the row of House Representatives sitting above the witness table. One man was watching for me, though, sitting at that table, and he turned and whispered to his companion. The both of them had to wait on the third man, who was giving a statement.

"... has always been at the forefront of technological progress. Changing times always creates opportunities, gentlemen of the Congress, but those opportunities seldom come without serious planning. NASA needs more time to evaluate its position in space exploration with the advent of new techniques offered by private industry. The office of International and Interagency…" By this time, his arm had been discretely poked and his companion leaned over to whisper in his ear. He turned and looked toward me and looked relieved.

"Mister Chairman, I would like to invite an unscheduled speaker to offer her advice on the subject. May I have her called?"

The Chairman looked a bit nonplussed, but rolled his hand in a 'go ahead' gesture while saying, "Mister Administrator, this is your statement time. You may share it as you wish."

The witness called over the Bailiff and handed over a Post-it note. The bailiff took it over to the chairman who didn't seem to recognize the name, but said all the same, "This committee calls Millicent Rice to the witness table."

He was in the minority. There was a murmur as I got up and walked to the table; the previous witness got up and courteously bowed me into his seat at the microphone and took another chair further back.

I sat and scooched closer to the mike with my statement in my hand. Grandmother had helped me with the wording and toned down some of my more off-color reactions.

"Mister Chairman, my name is Millicent Rice, also known as Spacegirl."


	2. Chapter 2

Cent: _"Should have seen that coming"_

"I am here at the invitation of Administrator Goodwin and his staff, and I represent myself and Apex Orbital Services, and the interests of exploration."

I was shocked when I read of this meeting, sir. It was never the intention of our company that by offering lower prices to orbital destinations the United States government would seek to reduce NASA's budget. Our goal was only to expand the human races' knowledge and grasp of its neighborhood by easing the travel restrictions that physics forces us to obey."

Travel is the word that you should pay attention to. NASA's mission statement reflects scientific discovery and aeronautics research, things that Apex is not prepared for or able to provide. We are a travel and delivery service, at our heart. While we do travel further and easier than has been offered in the past, we need NASA to be able to be a partner with our exploration strategy, or out of necessity we will be forced to focus on our other partners to the exclusion of the United States."

Please believe me, sir, this is in no way a threat. Our company wants the same kind of international cooperation that has so exemplified the world's investment into the International Space Station. Peaceful, scientific exploration leading to commercial development. This is not a time trim down. It's a time to double down."

I opened my handbag and got out the triple bagged glass jar and put it on the table. Administrator Goodwin, knowing what it was, looked at it with a bit of awe, but I ignored him and stared at the Chairman, waiting for him to say something. It didn't take him long.

"Young lady, what is that?"

I smiled slowly. "It's half a liter of martian soil from the Melas Chasma. I was there last week. This is an official invitation to join me."

Well, that last part of that was fairly drowned out by the audience, but I think the committee transcriber got it. I picked up the jar and handed it to Mr. Goodwin, smiled winningly, and jumped.

* * *

><p>The building was a bit run down. Dad, Wanda and I stood in the lobby while the realtor described the business that had built, then lost it in the economic downturn.<p>

"They were trying to create a startup internet grocery delivery service that would compete locally with Amazon and Walmart. The building is mostly storage space and computer stations, with business offices on the upper floors." He pointed upwards to the three stories above us with his pen. "They kept it up for a year before the times and lack of interest killed the business. The building is very modern for its type, built to accommodate loads of communication traffic and quick access to stored items."

Wanda went with him to look at the dispatch and security offices while Dad and I took the stairs to look at the offices.

Dusty. Houston has that effect on unused buildings. I turned to Dad and said, "Remind me again why you want it here."

He was looking thoughtfully around at the empty offices. "It's not how easily we can get around, it's how easily people that we need can get together. We're two miles from the Johnson space center, five miles from the Houston port, the second busiest in the nation, and surrounded by the associated space industry and science centers.

Your Mom is still looking for a private house for us, but as the defacto head of security, I want, for now, our place of business to have good surveillance and protection. We're putting bedrooms and good washrooms in whatever place we get, but I like the setup here. I admit it'll take a lot of remodelling for our needs, but I think this is the place." I shook my head tiredly. I'd tried to get him to look at Detroit, since it was so depressed it would welcome the dollars we'd bring in, but to him, Houston was the heart of NASA and if I wanted to work with them, I'd have to be here.

I told him to have it his way. At least it wasn't as hot as the rest of Texas. When we met up again with Wanda, she agreed that the building would meet our needs. "It's actually cooler than I'm used to," she grinned. "I'm glad you didn't decide on Vegas. I've been getting sick of that city for a while now. It'll be good to move."

* * *

><p>It's good to have family. I don't think it's possible to have a closer one than mine; Mom, Dad, me, and now Grandmother have more reason to stick together than any I have heard of. We've been under a potential sentence of death or capture and enslavement through most of our lives by some fairly evil types. That can have a tendency to draw a family together.<p>

But now… Okay. Dad's side of the family pretty much ended with the death of his mother, and then father three years ago. Dad has some horror stories about growing up with the man, and I don't regret not getting to know him.

Mom, on the other hand…

Mom's contact with family other than Grandmother had to be just as circumspect as with her; so visits were pretty scarce while I was growing up.

Then Spacegirl happened.

"Okay, okay, OKAY!" I yelled over the excited murmur. "We need to get some things straight. Kristen Station is not a playhouse. It's a very complex machine working very hard to keep people alive in the harshest environment the human race has ever been in. That means no poking buttons, no arguing with your minder, and pay attention to everything we just told you about being in space. We had you skip breakfast for a reason… it cuts down on usage of the bags you are holding."

Eyes went down to the plastic bags in everyone's hands with paper towels and peppermint scent. There were ten pairs of them, all from Mom's side of the family, starting with Uncle Oliver and Aunt Lisa and their two boys and one girl, along with spouses for two of them, and ending with Aunt Mary, Mom's divorced sister and her two girls, both unmarried.

We had decided on ten being the minimum age for visiting the station; old enough to take seriously the advice and prohibitions necessary to visit their grandmother. The youngest this time would be Cate, Mary's youngest at fourteen, thank goodness. Mom and I would bring up two at a time, introduce and hand them off to one of the staff. Since it would tax the station environment to have them all up at once, we were splitting them down the middle at five per trip total.

We had given them all the warnings; keep your head still, breath deeply, fix your eyes on one spot until you are certain your stomach is steady… but they all thought they were ready.

I came to Uncle Oliver and hugged him from the back. He stiffened slightly, then consciously relaxed, then asked, "Why from the back?" I answered, "You'll find out. In three, two, one…"

He did spasm, like almost everyone does. It's not something that had ever been discovered before jumpers, but then there had been no way to bring someone from a one gee environment to microgravity instantly. In some it was more violent than others; if I had been in front of him, his knees would have hit my thighs or worse. It also put me behind him in case he had an instant eruption problem.

I had jumped him right next to Seeana near the sick bay area. She put a hand on his back and the other on his side, giving him a feeling of support. He started to turn his head towards me and Seeana barked from in front of him, "Eyes on me! We weren't kidding about moving your head. If you want to turn, here's a rope. Turn your whole body to look around."

I left him in Seeanas' capable hands and went over to help Mom. She and Jaline hadn't been as quick as Seeana, but the nausea had been completely contained within the bag. Totally worth a missed breakfast. As soon as they both were under control, we pointed them towards Grandmother waiting patiently down by the viewing port, and Mom and I continued our ferrying duties.

At the end of the day, I think it was successful. It was turning out that Bee, one of Grandmother's first medical aid's extreme reaction to microgravity was rare; the poor girl went into uncontrollable fear spasms without the steady pull of the planet. All of our visitors kept mostly steady, and far more of the paper towels in the emesis kits were used to dry eyes than their intended purpose.

The experienced crew there kept everyone out of delicate machinery which wasn't very hard; when not talking to or hugging Grandmother, they mostly gawked out the window at the blue lovely outside. All in all, it was a nice visit.

Afterward, Mom and I took them all out to eat at an Olive Garden near Aunt Mary's house in Greenwood, Florida that we had totally rented out for the evening. I was growing used to not having privacy earthside in public, but I didn't want Mom's family to start avoiding us for that reason. Dad stayed at the station per our policy of having jumpers handy in case of emergency.

I mostly hung out with my cousins at our own table. There were a lot of questions about being in orbit and jumping; I responded in detail to the first and gave my stock nonanswers for the second. It took a while, but I was getting better at redirecting conversation away from me, and I found out more about the lives of these people that I should have known better. I wanted to change that, and the last part of the evening was involved with ways we could get together under the radar of the paparazzi that seemed to swarm whenever they heard I was going to show up.

Mom and I collared Oliver before we all broke up for the evening, and asked if we could ride back to his hotel with him. He gave a surprised look and grunted in the affirmative, adding, "I don't think I've been in a car with you since you were in college, Millie."

We followed him to his room in the plush Palm Garden hotel and Mom and I sat across from he and his wife. I started.

"Uncle Oliver, Apex Orbital wants to hire you. We're being sued."

He nodded. "Surprised it took this long. You should have seen it coming."

Mom blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You're a target. Any big company is. It only costs around 500 dollars to file a lawsuit in most of the country, and too many people like to game the system hoping to get a settlement from corporations that don't want to bother with going to court. Is it just the one suit?"

"Well, no. The company has one, and Cent another. Remember Jade, from the Station tour? Her mother has filed claiming malicious influence and interference with her education. She… disapproves of some choices that her daughter is making and is blaming us. Jade says lashing out is something she's done before, and she can't put a stop to it. They aren't speaking anymore."

I said, "We haven't actually incorporated. Just registered the name and got a tax ID in Kansas. We wanted to keep our footprint as small as possible."

Oliver looked shocked. "That small footprint might kill your company, Cent. You need the protection that filing for incorporation gives you." He pulled out a notebook from a side table and began writing. "Do you have any money on you?"

Mom got into her purse and retrieved a hundred dollar bill. "Is this enough?"

"Sure. Do you mind if I pull Savannah in on this? She wants to get into corporate law." Savannah was his son Johns' wife.

"Not at all, if you think it'll help." She and Oliver traded pieces of paper and he said, "Okay, you've hired my firm. I'll file papers as soon as we get back and look into those suits. I'll take care of everything, but I have to charge you the firms' rates, I'm afraid."

I shrugged. "We're making money. I'm still getting delivery orders and the NASA and other contracts will be cash cows for the foreseeable future. You should know that we are buying a building in Houston to house groundside operations. Dad made the offer yesterday."

Aunt Lisa was stifling yawns. Mom said, "Call us when you get back to the office and schedule a meeting. We'll bring all the paperwork we have."

We got up, gave hugs all around, and Mom and I jumped back to the Station, remaining quiet once we saw that Grandmother was sleeping. I said softly to Mom, "Okay, Apex now has a legal department. I hope we find someone to run the company that deals with that better than I."


End file.
